1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to housing structures and in particular to hinge means for mounting a door to a cabinet for selectively closing an access opening thereof from either side of the opening.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In refrigerators and the like, it is desirable to provide the access doors thereof to open from either the left or right-hand side of the cabinet. One example of such a refrigerator enclosure structure is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,889,419 of Leroy Maleck. As shown therein, the cabinet is provided with a hinge pin disposed in each corner of the access opening and the door is provided with a pair of bolt assemblies, each having a bolt member which is slidable into entrapping engagement with the hinge pin for the purpose of forming a hinge mounting adjacent either the left or right side of the door. The door includes a pair of handles on the right and left sides thereof. Each handle engages the bolt assemblies and can be moved to shift the bolts to form the hinge assembly on the side opposite to the handle that is being actuated.
In U.S. Pat. No. 321,266, John R. Whitney shows a railroad car window which can be opened from either of its opposite sides. The door mounting mechanism includes meas defining a slot and a pivot pin carried by the door frame.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,711,803, Norman F. Hurst discloses a folding lifting boom wherein a sliding locking bar and a pair of spring latch members are provided for permitting the boom to be pivoted about either of two spaced pivot points.
Gert A. E. Holbek discloses a door hinge arrangement in U.S. Pat. No. 4,222,149 wherein a sliding latch member is cammed laterally as an incident of opening movement of the door. The latch member is carried by the door and acts as a bolt to lock one of the hinge pins in place whenever the door has been opened from the opposite side. In one embodiment, a pair of centering springs restores the bolt to its centering position when the door is closed. In another embodiment, a pair of cams shifts the latch member laterally in response to opening movement of the door. The latch member slides along a connecting rod which is restrained from lateral movement. Relative motion between the connecting rod and latch member locks the hinge pin at the side of the door opposite that which is being opened.